Sentinel Stand Assault

Sentinel Stand Assault is a random encounter in Tales from the Tiers.

Transcript
As your path through the Blade Grave winds among broken spires of rust and bronze, a messenger dissolves before you from the turbid winds, his shouts grasped away by the howl of air against metal. As he stumbles closer, you recognize the wiry form of Mattias Brown-Bottom. He thrusts a missive into your hand, covering his mouth with a cloth as he struggles to catch his breath. In the missive, Jagged-Remedy's rough hand describes a concerted attempt by Disfavored troops to steal Sentinel Stand Keep for their bald, inbred general. They bivouac, he claims, in some rough canyons a few hours' journey from the citadel. He requests your assistance. You see the silhouette of the Disfavored runner long before you see the purple tabard and the insignia of a Crescent Runner, the young scouts of the Disfavored legion. She snaps to salute as she approaches. "Fatebinder! I come bearing word from Iron Guard Rumalan. The Scarlet Chorus don't understand the Archon's Privilege and make another attack upon Sentinel Stand!" "We've kept their scouts from the walls thus far, but a second gang bivouacs less than a day's journey from the citadel. If you can lend your blade, a sudden assault from the rear would surely turn the tide of battle!" An Unbroken approaches openly with hands raised, her cloth cowl pulled back to reveal cinder-black hair and bright eyes set in olive skin. "Fatebinder! I greet you on behalf of Janos of the Unbroken. That bald bastard Graven Ashe decided he wants Sentinel Stand Keep after all. The Disfavored are making a concerted effort against the stronghold." "We rebuffed their squadron from the wall, but a new offensive gathers within a few hours' march from Sentinel Stand. Will you again lend us your aid, that we can send them back to their general in pieces?" You don't see Bleden Mark until he stands directly before you, arms folded, teeth gleaming white. "Hey, kid. So that little fort of yours - Sentinel Stand Keep... seems Ashe wants it. His soldiers are on their way to seize your keep. If you want to defend your claim, now's the time to do something about it." As he finishes his sentence, he steps back, vanishing into the darkness. Travel to Sentinel Stand Keep to aid the Chorus. Send word that you will not be able to aid them. The ordered file of the Disfavored have broken up slightly in the uneven terrain of the Blade Grave. Several smaller patrols, backed by Earthshaker mages, dot the battlefield before you, iron arms polished free of rust and at the ready. Focusing on their preperations to take Sentinel Stand, they neglect your approach... You tell him you have more important matters to resolve. Jagged Remedy will have to defend Sentinel Stand Keep himself. If he can't manage to retain a fortified stronghold that's further protected by the Overlord's wrath, he doesn't deserve his position as a Crimson Spear. Travel to Sentinel Stand Keep to aid the Disfavored. Send word that you will not be able to aid them. You hear the howling of the Chorus gangs even as you approach their muster. There, not quite in sight of the citadel, hordesmen and Blood Chanters shout and bang bronze against shields. Though the noise is maddening, it allows you to approach the enemy undetected... You send the scout back with a simple response: your work with Ashe demands your presence elsewhere. Rumalan will have to defend Sentinel Stand Keep herself. You remind her that she and her soldiers represent the Disfavored, the finest fighting force on Terratus, and they should have no difficulty defending a stronghold as solid as the ancestral seat of the Regents from the ragtag gangs of the Scarlet Chorus. Travel to Sentinel Stand Keep to aid the Unbroken. Send word that you will not be able to aid them. The ordered file of the Disfavored have broken up slightly in the uneven terrain of the Blade Grave. Several smaller patrols, backed by Earthshaker mages, dot the battlefield before you, iron arms polished free of rust and at the ready. Focusing on their preperations to take Sentinel Stand, they neglect your approach... You remind the messenger that while you value the Unbroken as allies, you are not in their service. Janos will have to hold Sentinel Stand Keep without your assistance. If the Regents could man those walls for centuries, surely the Unbroken can stave off a few Disfavored soldiers. Travel to Sentinel Stand Keep to repel the Disfavored. Ignore the Disfavored threat. The ordered file of the Disfavored have broken up slightly in the uneven terrain of the Blade Grave. Several smaller patrols, backed by Earthshaker mages, dot the battlefield before you, iron arms polished free of rust and at the ready. Focusing on their preperations to take Sentinel Stand, they neglect your approach... You recognize the wisdom in Mark's dismissal of the stronghold in Stalwart and decide to abandon it to Ashe's people. A garrison there means fewer soldiers at Iron Hearth when the inevitable time of reckoning comes. The air in the Blade Grave remains curiously still, as if the long rage of the Edict of Storms exhausted whatever bluster the winds once held. Continue...